A children's home in Coventry which was at the centre of an under-age sex, violence and bullying expose four years ago is to be closed.

The closure is part of a move by Coventry City Council to look after children in smaller houses more similar to family homes.

Buildings at the Manor residential home in Wyken are deemed to be too run-down and out-of-date to be worth renovating. Its location - next to Stoke House secure unit where youngsters are effectively locked up - is thought to be less than ideal.

Howard Woolfenden, head of the council's children's services, reported to councillors: "It is in a poor state of repair and would require significant capital outlay to meet existing and future standards for inspection.

"Despite some recent improvement, inspection reports by officers and members alike remain critical."

Improvements were made to the way the 14-bed home was run after an Evening Telegraph investigation in 1998 into a former residential social worker's claims of bullying and extortion rackets run by children, and under-age teenage girls having sex.

Youngsters at the Manor will be moved to Wistaria Lodge children's home later this year. Wistaria is currently being renovated.

The city council hopes to replace the children's home with smaller, family-type units housing five or six youngsters with round-the-clock staff supervision.